BBC drama The Sixth Commandment was compelling and enraging

It dramatised the story of former churchwarden Ben Field in the sleepy village of Maids Moreton in Buckinghamshire, bringing the full horror of Field’s actions to light.

Field was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of 36 years behind bars at Oxford Crown Court in 2019 for the murder of author and retired teacher Peter Farquhar.

He then went on to try to defraud Mr Farquhar's elderly neighbour, Ann Moore-Martin - a former headteacher at a primary school in Bicester.

In the drama Timothy Spall - looking uncannily like Mr Farquhar - and national treasure Anne Reid, who are already known to be great actors, were both terrific.

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Creepy and deeply disturbed Field - played brilliantly by Eanna Hardwicke - wormed his way into their lives by showering them with affection before embarking on his extreme gaslighting campaign all of which he recorded in journals and 'raps'.

He even videoed Mr Farquhar in drug-addled states after he started to poison him.

Superficially 'charming' and infuriatingly impeccably mannered Field targeted Mr Farquhar who was a devout Christian and tormented by his sexuality.

Mr Farquhar had many friends and a close family but was lonely and thought he had finally found love. 

The powerful drama subtly and slowly unfolded with Field slowly isolating him and manipulating him into changing his will before moving into his home.

In an edge of the seat and very scary finale, Mr Farquhar confronted Field, telling him he had seen through him and he was a cruel young man - at which Field smirked.

Field suffocated him with a cushion before making it look like he had drunk himself to death by leaving a half-empty bottle of whisky by him.

His distraught brother accepted that as the scary Field had also conned him into believing he had developed an alcohol problem.

In court Field told the jury he did it "for no other reason other than it was cruel, to upset and torment Peter — purely out of meanness”.

Field then moved three doors down to Ms Moore-Martin gaslighting her and writing “messages from God” on her mirrors.

He was finally exposed by her niece Ann-Marie Blake, played by Annabel Scholey, who vented absolute fury as she was increasingly kept away from her bubbly aunt before discovering how Field had manipulated her.

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Field has been dubbed the 'Midsomer Murderer' but Hardwicke's performance was much more unsettling than that - as well as enraging.

Frustratingly for viewers the high-functioning psychopath was able to read, manipulate, and control nearly all scenarios with absolute no compassion or remorse.

Even after being arrested he said "I think I will get away with most of it," while sitting in the back of a police van.

And arrogant Field clearly felt he was a match for the prosecution barrister in court.

There are a lot of true crime shows on TV at the moment with controversy over the ethics of some of them.

But this one, which had the blessing of the families, was not sensational and told the story of Peter and Ann's lives not Ben Field's.

In my opinion it was the best thing on the BBC in ages and should clean up at the Baftas.